PLATTSBURGH — Two years ago, Conifer Park was administering methadone and Suboxone to 72 clients on a weekly basis.

At 140 now, that number has almost doubled, Nursing Coordinator Karla Lyon told Assemblyman D. Billy Jones during a recent tour of the facility.

That could be interpreted as a positive in some ways, as awareness surrounding the opiate epidemic has increased and more people are ready to get help.

“It’s not just the methadone and Suboxone (as treatment),” said Michelle Collings, director of Conifer Park’s outpatient clinic.

“They get a lot of support.”

“We’re a very hands-on clinic,” Lyon said.

RECOVERY MONTH

Jones, his chief of staff, Molly Ryan, and Francene Cornell, who lost her son to an opiate overdose in July 2016, visited Conifer Park and other local treatment centers recently for round tables on the opiate epidemic.

Several current and past clients in recovery shared their stories, assured by clinic staff that only their first names would be released.

At Conifer Park, Lucinda, Kaylah and Kevin talked to Jones about what worked for them in treatment and why they decided to get help.

SUBOXONE HELPED

Lucinda has been clean for 20 months.

She said that when she came to Conifer Park, she was at death’s door, and the treatment center saved her life.

Methadone didn’t work for her, but she has stayed sober while on Suboxone.

Though she has graduated as a client, she still sees a Conifer Park doctor.

When Jones asked her why she decided to get clean, Lucinda said she was sick and tired of being sick and tired, having lost her marriage and house while she struggled with addiction.

Along with the Suboxone, Alcoholics Anonymous helped her pull through: She went to 14 meetings each week her first year in recovery and still goes five days a week.

HURT, CONFUSED

Kaylah held her 4-month-old son as she spoke.

She admitted that when she first came to Conifer Park in 2015, she was hurt and confused and not ready to get help.

Kaylah had just gotten out of a bad relationship, and Clinton County Child Protective Services had removed her two other children.

After relapsing many times, she was kicked out of Conifer Park.

PREGNANCY

Kaylah later went to a Conifer Park rehab facility in Schenectedy for two and a half weeks, since that’s all her insurance would allow.

Doctors didn’t taper her off methadone and couldn’t let her leave sick, so they put her on Suboxone.

She is a participant in Mental Health Court and under probation.

At one point, she tested positive for methadone while on Suboxone, even though, she said, she hadn’t used it.

After going to jail for five days, she returned to Conifer Park’s Plattsburgh clinic and found out she was pregnant.

FAMILY COMING BACK

Kaylah doesn’t believe in God, thinking instead that we get here because we do all the work, but felt she had a spiritual awakening with news of her new baby.

She had lost her other two children because she put a man and drugs before them; she wasn’t going to do that again.

Kaylah said she has been clean since June 16, 2016.

For a while, she could only visit her other two children one hour per week, but on Aug. 30 she was granted visitation of multiple days and hours per week.

Little by little, she said, her family is coming back together.

STILL WORKED

It took a lot for Kevin to come to the round table, given the stigma that still surrounds addiction.

But he wouldn’t be who he is without Conifer Park, he said.

Kevin decided to get clean out of personal guilt. He had never pictured himself doing drugs and feels he lost himself for 10 years — disappointing himself, his mother, his grandmother.

Though it took him a while to get into recovery, he said it helped that he could to go to work while receiving treatment.

He works 70 hours per week and would not have been able to take a month off to got to an inpatient facility.

By building trust with the people he worked with at Conifer Park, he was able to earn take-homes, meaning he does not always have to come in to receive the medication he needs.

He tries to pay it forward by doing good every day.

CELEBRATE AT BEST

Kaylah believes that people struggling with addiction have to want to get well.

Her first time at Conifer Park, she didn’t want it and was mean to those who wanted to help her.

Now, she loves all of them and is so thankful they gave her a second chance.

“Because of this epidemic, people who come here are so sick,” Collings said.

“We see them at their worst, but we celebrate them at their best.

“For these guys, just walking in the door was probably the hardest part.”

CONSTANT CONTACT

Nurses administer the medications — narcotics used to treat narcotic drug addiction — six days a week, Collings said.

That constant contact allows them to get focused on treatment and recovery.

Many people come in by self-referral, Collings said, having to call repeatedly until spots open up.

Kevin called for a couple of weeks.

At his first appointment, he remembered, Collings took notes on a white pad, jotting down a summary of his years of addiction, judgment-free.

“It’s an assessment for level of care and need,” she explained.

NO WAIT LIST

Kaylah had less of a wait — her second time around, Collings told her to come in the next day.

Conifer Park does not currently have a waiting list, the clinic director said.

“As we’ve grown, we’ve been able to add staff,” she said, though finding credentialed, licensed clinicians in the area is a barrier.

“We need to be ready to strike when the iron’s hot, or we’re going to lose them.”

MEDICABS

Conifer Park Director of Outpatient Operations Kurt Brown commended Kevin for bringing up the stigma he has faced and said that agencies also face that judgment.

Compared to other communities, Plattsburgh has been very supportive of offering medication-assisted treatment, he said.

But he did voice concerns about the quality of medicabs that offer transport for non-emergency medical appointments.

“I want people to have jobs that need to have jobs,” Brown told Jones, adding that it’s difficult to communicate with the organization managing medicabs.

“We want to make sure people are coming to treatment in a safe environment.”

CONSISTENCY

Collings’s Troy-based counterpart, Joe LaCoppola, emphasized that without the Plattsburgh clinic, the closest place people would be able to get medication-supported treatment is Albany.

However, he continued, there need to be some consistent standards and codings for insurance companies, as there are often barriers to prescribing medications like Suboxone.

Jones asked if that is because of abuses of such medications or that the insurance companies want more money.

“A little bit of both,” LaCoppola said. “An outpatient program like ours has the ability to dispense and engage individuals early in treatment.”

But, he said, “it’s not one shoe that fits all.”

INDIVIDUALIZE TREATMENT

Dr. Ruchika Saini emphasized the need to individualize treatment.

Treatment providers need to be aware of when people get Suboxone and don’t come back, indicating abuse.

“It’s important that we be vigilant,” she said.

“If we see a problem, we say they have to come to the window,” Saini added, referring to where nurses administer the medication.

Former opioid and heroin addict Melissa Ives thanks Michael Batstone, an investigator with the Oswego County Drug Task Force, for helping her on the road to recovery. Ives said Batstone had arrested her on multiple occasions for drug possession.

PAYNE HORNING / WRVO NEWS

When Melissa Ives was recovering from a brutal motorcycle accident, the opioid medication she was prescribed helped mask the pain. But eventually, those pills ran out so she turned to a cheaper alternative – heroin.

“I was addicted for five years,” Ives said. “I could do up to 40 bags a day of heroin and it’s just a miracle I’m not dead. I am grateful to be walking and talking.”

Ives, who lives in Fulton, attributes her recovery to the treatment she received in Syracuse, where many drug abusers in central New York turn because there are few clinics in the area with comparable services.

One of those detoxification clinics is at Crouse Hospital, where they offer an opioid replacement called methadone. It’s administered daily under the supervision of health professionals. The hospital’s chemical dependency treatment director Monika Taylor said people from 17 counties in central New York travel to Crouse to get the daily dosage.

“Right now, we have a wait list of about 380 patients for this particular treatment,” Taylor said. “So, for the methadone program there is probably at this point a 9-12 month wait before somebody can get admitted.”

Taylor said this is not your typical wait list.

“There are definitely people that are continuing to use while they are out there waiting to get into the program and we have heard of people dying that are on the wait list.”

Conifer Park in Liverpool started sharing some of that load this month with their new methadone program, which will help alleviate the crushing demand. Conifer Park’s director of regional services Mike Kettle said Crouse and others were supportive of their efforts.

“This is something we saw a great need for, we got support from the state and the community and I truly do believe today we are going to be saving lives,” Kettle said.

Even with the two methadone clinics in Onondaga County, only 10 of the state’s 95 methadone clinics are located in upstate. That can mean long commutes for people in the 42 counties that don’t have a methadone clinic.

Federal officials are trying to expand access to another opioid replacement drug called Suboxone, which can be taken at home. But eligible doctors are currently allowed to prescribe Suboxone for only 100 patients a year. Mark Stevens, whose son was once an addict, said that’s not enough in rural areas like Oswego County where only three doctors can prescribe the drug.

“If each doctor only gives a hundred, that’s 300 people in this huge community – Oswego County,” Stevens said. “300 people, that’s all they can take care of? There’s more than 300 addicts out there.”

The U.S. Department of Health is currently in the process of raising the limit of suboxone prescriptions to 200 per year. And, central New York Congressman John Katko (R-Camillus) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) have proposed a bill that would allow eligible doctors to prescribe an unlimited amount. Still, Stevens said Suboxone is only part of the answer.

“Some of these doctors that give the Suboxone keep them on it for so many years,” Stevens. “If you find a facility that will wean them off it, then they get the proper health and then educate them and keep them going.”

Those ancillary services like therapy and counseling, which are part of a holistic recovery, are also struggling to keep up with the spike in drug abuse.

Editor’s note:

Susan Craig with the New York Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse services (OASAS) said the state is working to treat the abuse epidemic by expanding access to buprenorphine, opioid drug replacements, and other treatment services.

“The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) has been actively engaged in adding more than 2,000 opioid treatment slots to its system of care, mostly in upstate NY,” Craig said in an email. “In addition, OASAS has made it possible for current opioid treatment providers to request an increase in their treatment capacity limits. Additionally, prescribers of buprenorphine in OASAS-certified opioid treatment programs are allowed to treat an unlimited number of patients, so OASAS is encouraging New Yorkers interested in buprenorphine treatment to ask their opioid treatment provider about this treatment option.”

Heroin, opiates, and other drugs continue to plague our communities. The resulting devastation is felt by families, congested legal and health systems and rising overdose deaths. This conference will provide information on frequented drugs of abuse, a therapeutic model for treating heroin and opiate addiction, and an educational format on medication assisted treatment options. With this conference we hope to once again bring hope and sobriety to those impacted by addiction.

Public service announcements now airing on television and a new 33-foot billboard placed in the Bronx

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that two new public service announcements are now airing on television stations and music streaming services across the state in an effort to warn residents about the dangers of synthetic drugs and prescription opioid abuse. This is the latest in New York’s multi-pronged effort to combat drug and prescription opioid abuse.

“These PSAs spread the simple message that these drugs are harmful, addictive, and simply not worth it,” Governor Cuomo said. “This administration will continue to do everything in our power to combat opioid abuse in New York as well as take on the emerging threat of synthetic drugs in our communities.”

The first new PSA (view here) features young people who describe the serious health dangers of synthetics and advises others to stay away from synthetics. The second PSA (view here) features a young athlete explaining how a sports injury led to his addiction to pain pills with the message, “Don’t let addiction sideline your dreams.” Both PSAs are airing this month on stations across the state.

Also as part of the new campaign, a 33-foot billboard stating, “Synthetic marijuana can kill!” is now posted on 167th Street and Southern Boulevard in the Bronx (view here), and similar posters will be posted in subways, bus shelters and other locations in the New York City area. Billboards also will be posted at select malls around the state.

“New York State is at a crossroads,” Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services Commissioner Arlene González-Sánchez said. “Now is the time to stamp out synthetics and to rid our communities of the harms of heroin and addiction to prescription opioids. These new campaigns bring home the message that help for addiction is available in all areas of our state and recovery from addiction is real and possible.”

The campaign aims to inform New Yorkers and push back against the following trends:

New York State has seen a more than an eightfold increase this year in emergency department visits (4,700 between April 1 and Sept. 3) related to adverse health effects due to synthetic drug use, including psychiatric emergencies, rapid heart rate and death.
§ 45 percent of people who used heroin were also addicted to opioid painkillers.
§ Prescription opioid admissions have risen 41 percent statewide between 2005 and 2014.

Find help below:

If you think someone has used a synthetic drug, call the New York State Regional Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222. In a medical emergency, call 9-1-1.

To report the illegal sale of synthetics, call 1-888-99-SALTS.

New Yorkers struggling with an addiction, or whose loved ones are struggling, can find help and hope by calling the State’s toll-free, 24-hour, 7-day-a-week HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY (1-877-846-7369) or by texting HOPENY (467369).

Visit www.combatheroin.ny.gov for information about addiction to heroin or prescription painkillers. For tools to use in talking to a young person about preventing alcohol or drug use, visit the State’s Talk2Prevent website.

Conifer Parkawarded Platinum Performance Recognition by Optum

GLENVILLE, NY — Conifer Park, a private, inpatient chemical dependency treatment facility situated on 32 wooded acres, has recently been awarded the Platinum designation by Optum for the remarkable work the facility does in the Capital District of New York state.

“I believe Conifer Park truly represents the epitome of what outstanding substance use treatment services can and should be,” said Dr. Rick Jemanez, National Medical Director, External Health Plans. “Optum does not hand this type of recognition out lightly. In fact, out of nearly 500 inpatient facilities, Optum has awarded the Platinum distinction to only 81. And we’re proud to say that Conifer Park has joined this very elite class of inpatient facilities.”

Conifer Park was presented with Optum’s Platinum distinction based on clinical data collected by Optum over the course of an entire year. Optum looked at specific criteria, such as readmission rates and average length of inpatient stay, and compared Conifer Park’s data to that of other regional facilities. Of the several key data points examined, Conifer Park exceeded all metrics.

“We are extremely proud and honored to have received this Platinum distinction,” said Roy Wallach, Senior Vice President Marketing & Development at Liberty Management. “I think it’s truly a well-deserved acknowledgement of the great work being performed by our team.

“When one of our providers refers a patient to our facility, he or she knows that patient is going to receive excellent care. That is the kind of trust we’ve built with our providers over the years. And receiving Optum’s Platinum award serves to affirm the trust providers place in Conifer Park,” said Wallach.

Conifer Park, a private inpatient chemical dependency treatment facility located in Glenville, New York, has been in operation since 1983. Its focus is on applying best practice standards to individualized alcoholism and substance abuse treatment programs. A multi-disciplinary team of professionals comprised of medical, psychiatry, nursing, social work and addiction counselors, is highly dedicated to assisting each and every patient on their journey toward hope and recovery. Conifer Park is one of the leading providers of treatment throughout New York and the northeast because they approach the disease of addiction from the patient’s point of view, carefully taking into consideration the uniqueness and diversity of each patient.

Campaign Features PSAs, Dedicated Website, and Social Media Awareness Efforts

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today launched “Combat Heroin,” a campaign designed to inform and educate New Yorkers about the risks of heroin and prescription opioid use, the signs of addiction, and the resources available to help.

“Heroin and opioid addiction has impacted families in every corner of our state and stolen the lives of too many New Yorkers – but today we’re taking another step forward in the fight against this serious epidemic,” Governor Cuomo said. “The Combat Heroin campaign will get the word out about the dangers of this illegal drug use, as well as the treatment and support services that are available to those who need help. Just like this year’s new law that expanded access to treatment and anti-overdose medication, this campaign is comprehensive and designed to save lives. I urge anyone who knows someone in need of help to reach out today.”

Heroin and opioid abuse have become an alarming problem in communities across New York State and the nation. In 2013, there were 89,269 admissions for heroin and prescription opioid abuse treatment in New York State alone, an increase from 63,793 in 2004. During this same time period, New Yorkers ages 18 to 24 had the largest increase in such admissions. Nationally, nearly half a million people were reportedly abusing heroin or suffering from heroin dependence in 2012.

In June 2014, Governor Cuomo signed into law a legislative package to combat this epidemic. The package included insurance reforms, new models of care to divert people into community-based treatment and to support people after they have completed treatment, allowing parents to seek assessment of their children through the PINS diversion services, and expansion of opioid overdose training and increased availability to naloxone, a medication which reverses an opioid overdose.

A critical element of the legislative package requires the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services to develop and implement a public awareness and education campaign. The Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, the NYS Department of Health, and the NYS Office of General Services’ Media Services Center have worked together to create a multifaceted media campaign which includes a new website that is easy to navigate and is targeted toward parents, adults, and young people who are seeking help and information concerning heroin and opioid abuse and misuse.

The website, which can be found at this link: http://combatheroin.ny.gov/, includes information about warning signs of heroin and opioid abuse and misuse, access to Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services treatment providers, and guidance to help parents talk to their children and healthcare professionals talk with their patients.

The campaign also includes four public service announcements and video messages, available on the above-linked website, from New Yorkers talking about the impact of heroin and other opioids on their lives.

Linda Ventura, founder of Thomas’ Hope and a Suffolk County mother who lost her son to a heroin overdose, said, “I am proud to have been part of the call for legislative change in NYS to help eradicate the opiate and heroin epidemic. Governor Cuomo’s campaign to address this insidious epidemic and to educate and direct families afflicted with this disease is welcomed and appreciated.”

Susan Salomone, co-founder of Drug Crisis in our Backyard and a Putnam County mother who lost her son to a heroin overdose, said, “This is the first step in stemming the tide of overdoses that are occurring in New York State. Thank you Governor Cuomo and the legislature for your acknowledgement of this as an epidemic, a disease, and your commitment to raise awareness of the critical nature of legal opiates and heroin.”

Cortney Lovell of Young People In Recovery – New York, said, “The Combat Heroin campaign is a wonderful example of what’s possible when the community recognizes a crisis, unites together to find a solution and then takes meaningful steps to make a change. With the support of Governor Cuomo, our legislators, and our state offices, this campaign will increase awareness of the invaluable resources available throughout New York State. I’m grateful to share in the message that not only is the disease of addiction prevalent, but that there is hope through recovery.”

Tatiana, a young person from New York City in long term recovery, said, “Heroin and Opiate-based narcotics almost took my life. Recovery is real and has given me true freedom. This campaign is a powerful tool that will create awareness and make a difference in the lives of the people suffering.”

Anne Constantino, CEO of Horizon Health Services/Horizon Village in Western New York, said, “The heroin epidemic in WNY has been devastating. We are grateful to the Governor for his leadership in the fight to educate the public and to bring resources and hope to struggling families. With aggressive actions we can save lives.”

Kevin M. Connally, Executive Director of Hope House Inc. in Albany, said, “Although heroin has been a problem for many years, the fact that today we are seeing teenagers who are using heroin and many are even injecting it, is extremely troubling. Use of heroin is affecting people of all ages, races and socioeconomic status. I applaud Governor Cuomo and his actions to combat the heroin epidemic.”

Outreach President Kathy Riddle said, “The opiate / heroin epidemic in New York State is ravishing our families, schools and communities. Education, intervention and treatment can save lives and prevent future innocent victims and devastated families. I applaud Governor Cuomo for his leadership to include a public awareness campaign to raise awareness on this issue.”

Bill Bowman, Executive Director of the Alcohol and Substance Abuse Council of Jefferson County, said, “We applaud the Governor’s decision to launch the Combat Heroin Public Awareness Campaign. Jefferson County, like most counties in New York State, is experiencing a severe heroin epidemic with an associated rise in drug arrests, increase in related crime, overdose calls to first responders, and overdose deaths. By bringing the reality this epidemic clearly in the eyes of New Yorkers, promoting prevention and how to access help, the Combat Heroin Campaign will surely save many lives.”

Jennifer Faringer, MS.Ed., CPPg, Director of DePaul’s National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence-Rochester Area, said, “DePaul’s National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence-Rochester Area fully enthusiastically supports the efforts of NYS OASAS and Governor Cuomo in their efforts to raise awareness around the risks of Opioids. Opioid abuse, stemming often from the misuse/abuse of prescription pain medications impacts the lives of NYS’s youth, their families and our communities! Working together in partnership we can make a difference in the lives of New Yorkers for a healthier and safer NYS!”

In addition to the Combat Heroin campaign, other initiatives being implemented include:

SUNY and CUNY will promote the Combat Heroin campaign on college campuses and train campus police and emergency personnel on the use of naloxone.
· The 12 Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services Addiction Treatment Centers will continue to train New Yorkers on the use of naloxone. Addiction Treatment Center staff have already trained more than 3,200 people.
· Expand naloxone training for first responders including police officers, firefighters, sheriffs’ deputies and emergency services. Approximately 1,100 law enforcement officers have already received the life-saving training.
· Working with community providers to train persons throughout New York State likely to witness an overdose, including professional staff, drug users and their families on overdose prevention and the use of naloxone. To date, over 170 agencies have been enrolled, 15,000 persons trained, and in excess of 1,000 overdoses reversed.
· Create more prescription medication disposal sites across the state for New Yorker’s to safely dispose of prescription medications. Department of Health has established a statewide medication drop box program. Drop boxes are also available year round at State Police Troop Headquarters in Batavia, Unadilla, Canandaigua, Latham, East Farmingdale, Ray Brook, Oneida, Middletown and Salt Point.

People or families who need help with substance abuse can call the toll-free Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services HOPEline at 1-877-846-7369 to speak with a trained medical professional. HOPEline staff can answer questions and help people find treatment 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All calls are confidential.

New Plattsburgh Methadone Clinic Aims to Help Addicts

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Health officials and police in Plattsburgh hope a new methadone clinic will help with a growing drug and crime problem in the area.

“We’ve seen a trend growing within the last eight to ten years, but the numbers are increasing even more probably for the past two years,” said Michelle Collings of Conifer Park Outpatient Clinic Plattsburgh.

The new Plattsburgh methadone clinic opened in November to help those addicted to these powerful drugs get healthy. With the publicity of Philip Seymour Hoffman’s apparent heroin overdose and Governor Peter Shumlin addressing the opiate problem in Vermont, Collings hopes people are listening.

“It brings more attention to the issue, so I think that’s a good thing,” Collings said.

Methadone is used to treat heroin and other opiate addictions. And as with other parts of our region, she says many of these addictions started with a prescription for painkillers.

“They’re not able to get them off the street because of the high price, they do end up turning to heroin,” Collings said.

Before this clinic opened in Plattsburgh, those seeking treatment had to go to clinics in Albany or Vermont for Methadone.

“We have a responsibility to help treat these people, when we’re seeing the overdose deaths, and a lot of them are not reported,” Collings said.

And, of course, the increase in drug use leads to increased crime like we’ve seen in other places. Clinton County District Attorney Douglas Collyer says criminal drug cases have doubled. He believes the clinic benefits the community and will reduce crime.

“The treatment aspect is important and every one case that you’re successful in with treatment is one less case that’s going to come back through the system, so it’s definitely a savior in the end,” Collyer said.

It’s not only crime that’s worrisome, these drugs can be snorted, smoked or injected. The clinic says most addicts are injecting and that raises serious health concerns for the community. Diseases like HIV, AIDS and hepatitis C are easily transmitted that way.